The largest and most interesting museum in Rio de Janeiro is devoted to the human history of Brazil dating from as far back as pre-Columbian times through to the 19th century. Exhibits include paintings, sculptures, photographs, maps and arms, as well as other historical artifacts. Galleries dedicated to the indigenous tribes of Brazil illustrate their way of lif. The colonial, imperial and republican eras are also well represented. Visitors can see a replica of the prehistoric rock paintings from the Serra da Capivara in the northeast of Brazil, claimed to be the oldest record of human presence in South America.
